Transcript Unit 1

Unit 2
Part I Lead-in
 1) Do you think rich people must be happier than
poor people? Why?
 Or: Can we identify wealth with happiness? If not,
why are there so many people in the world
spending their whole life on the pursuit of
possessions?
 2) If you should become a millionaire one day,
would you still live a simple life? Give your
reasons (Cf. richness felt within and richness
proven by owning things).
Text A
A Life Full of Riches
--- By Karl R. Green
Part II Cultural Notes (1)
Salvation Army
 a Christian charity and
social services
organization.
 founded by William
Booth and his wife
Catherine Booth in
London in 1865
 got the name because of
a popular saying that
“The Christian Mission is
a volunteer army.”
Part II Cultural Notes (1)
 The Red Kettle Christmas Campaign
It was first started in San Francisco in 1891, the
campaign, during which volunteers put a red kettle at a
prominent place of public gathering such as the entrance
to a shopping mall and ring a bell to urge passers-by to
drop money into the kettle in the spirit of Christmas, has
traditionally been The Salvation Army’s most prominent
fund-raiser.
Cultural Notes (2)
Wal-Mart
Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, Wal-Mart Stores,
Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a
chain of large, discount department stores. Now the
company is the largest private employer and the
largest grocery retailer in the United States.
Sam Walton:
The founder of Wal-mart
If judged by appearance
Sam Walton was a very
ordinary man. He was
raised in the Depression
years, and served in the
army during World War II.
It was he who, from humble
beginnings, built the
world’s most admired retail
organization.
Part II Cultural Notes (2)
 Sam had a passion to compete and an appetite for
adventure. He was also a good motivator of people,
because he practiced what he preached. He remained
guided by the old-fashioned principles of hard work,
honesty, neighborliness and thrift. Even after his
death in 1992, those principles continue to guide the
company.
Part II Cultural Notes (2)
 Sam Walton’s guiding philosophy for his stores
from the beginning was to offer consumers a wide
selection of goods at a discounted price. The
company saved money by keeping advertising costs
low and located stores in small towns where
residents had few options for retail shopping.
 Wal-Mart also expanded into other countries in the
1990s, including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina,
Indonesia, and China.
Part II Cultural Notes (3)
 Personal Income Tax in the US
a progressive tax on the taxable income
from the federal government of the US
individual
personal income taxes from some state
and municipal governments
Part II Cultural Notes (3)
 The federal government of the United States
imposes a progressive tax on the taxable income of
individuals. Some state and municipal governments
also impose personal income taxes. A progressive
tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the
taxable amount increases, where people with more
disposable income, or people in a higher income
bracket, pay a higher percentage of that income in
tax than those with less income, or in a lower income
bracket.
Part III Writing Features
The author of this text is an expert in giving
supporting details to the points he wants to make.
Also, he dexterously interweaves the theme of “not
rich” with that of “rich” in the essay.
 Evidence showing that the author is not rich in a
material sense:
He falls into the lowest income brackets;
there is a lack of “things” in his apartment and life;
and a date once left him for “what’s on the outside”.
 Evidence showing that the author is quite well-off:
He has exceptionally good health;
he cherishes the gift of creativity;
and he feels a strong sense of belonging each
December because he loves helping others as well
as being appreciated for the help.
Part IV Difficult Sentences
 His mother scolded him for the social no-no, and they
hurried off to do their shopping (Lines 2-4, para. 2)
 His mother scolded him for his words were socially
inappropriate, and then they left in a hurry to do their
shopping. Here “no-no” means “a way of behaving
that is not acceptable”.
Part IV Difficult Sentences
 Yet I feel nothing more than a passing whim to
attain the material things so many other people
have. (Lines 1-2, para.4)
 However, I have only occasionally felt the urge to
go after the material things so many other people
have. Here, “nothing more than” means “only,
just”, e.g. Happiness is nothing more than good
health and a bad memory.
Part IV Difficult Sentences
 And I love the “can do” attitude that follows (Lines
5-6, para. 5).
 And I love the feeling of self confidence brought
by brisk exercises.
Part IV Difficult Sentences
 In a society that spends so much emotional energy
on the pursuit of possessions, I feel out of place
(Lines 2-3, para. 7).
 In a society where people are mainly concerned
with the pursuit of material wealth, I feel very
uncomfortable and a complete outsider. Here “out
of place” means “feeling uncomfortable or not
suitable in a particular situation”.
Part IV Difficult Sentences
 I think most people feel the same way—except
when there are social consequences to not having
particular items (Line 2-4, para.10)
 I think most people feel the same way—except
when not having a particular something will put
people under social pressure they might think
differently.
Part V Language Points
 confront (para.1):
 1) (of a problem, difficulty, etc.) face (sb.)
threateningly
e.g. A major difficulty that confronts international
students is how best to judge the quality of a
program in a foreign university.
The explorers were confronted with mountains
almost impassable.
 2) (of a person) face and deal with (a problem,
difficulty, etc.)
e.g. Astronauts have to confront the unknown.
A soldier has to confront danger and death.
Part V Language Points
 curiosity (para. 1): a strong desire to know
e.g. We burned with curiosity over what was in the
box.
Just to satisfy my curiosity, how much did you pay
for your car?
Collocation:
from/out of curiosity
in open curiosity
Curiosity killed a cat.
在好奇心驱使下
公然出头过问与自己无关的事
好奇伤身。
Part V Language Points
 stammer (para. 2): speak with a tendency to repeat
rapidly the same sound or syllable
e.g. It is cruel to make fun of people who stammer.
He stammered his thanks.他结结巴巴地道了谢。
Part V Language Points
 fill out (para. 3): add information such as your name
and address in (a form or document)
e.g. It took me quite a while to fill out the
questionnaire.
The information below lists things you’ll need to
prepare for filling out your application.
Part V Language Points
 fall into (para.3): belong to (a particular group of things
that have similar qualities)
e.g. The council members disagreed, falling into liberal
and conservative camps.
理事会成员们意见相左，分成自由和保守两个阵
营。
All whales fall into two groups, those with teeth and
those without.
Part V Language Points
 fabricate (para.6): make up (a story, a piece of
information, etc.) in order to deceive people
e.g. Have you ever lied a little, or fabricated a story
about yourself, to impress someone you meet the first
time?
The excuse for her absence was obviously fabricated.
Part V Language Points
 tickle (para.6):
 1) amuse and interest
e.g. The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.
It tickled her to think that her boss would dress up as a
clown at the New Year party.
 2) move one’s fingers on a sensitive part of another’s
body in a way that makes them laugh
e.g. She tickled the boy’s feet and made him laugh.
Babies like to be tickled and hugged.
Part V Language Points
 vital (para.7): very important, necessary, or essential
e.g. This point is vital to my argument.
The leader’s vital and cheerful manner filled his men
with courage.
Pattern:
be vital to… 对…极为重要
Part V Language Points
 well off (para. 7): rich, or having enough money to live
well
e.g. The Communist Party of China will lead the
Chinese people in building a well-off society.
If he had worked harder when young, he would be well
off now.
Part V Language Points
 out of place (para.7): feeling uncomfortable or not
suitable in a particular situation
e.g. Your jokes are out of place on such a solemn
occasion.
At the formal party I felt very awkward and out of
place.
Part V Language Points
 focus (para.11): concentrate (one’s attention, etc.)
on (sth.); concentrate (on sth.)
e.g. You should focus your attention on your work.
The only way to attain your goals is to stay focused
and work hard.
Part V Language Points
 affluent (para.11): rich enough to buy things for
pleasure
e.g. land affluent in natural resources
In an affluent society people can afford to strike a
balance between work and life.
 Cf.: rich, wealthy and affluent
这三个词都是形容词，都有“丰富”、“富有”之意。
rich意为“有钱的”、“富有的”，其程度超过正常需要 的，语气强
烈；形容人时，指拥有大量金钱、财产，其引申义为“富于…”。
e.g.The richer get richer while the poor get poorer.
Part V Language Points
wealthy 指人、家庭或国家富有、安康、富裕；语气较缓，程
度可大可小。尤指拥有大量财产、财富。
e.g. Some wealthy people are likely to be
philanthropists.
affluent意为“富裕的”、“富足的”，尤指家庭和社会，在这
一点上相当于wealthy，是较正式用语。
e.g. It’s our duty to build an affluent and civilized
society in the new century.
Part V Language Points
 go through (para.12): experience (sth. difficult or
unpleasant)
e.g. He’s amazingly cheerful considering all that he’s
gone through.
When he was a child, he went through one hardship
after another.
Part V Language Points
 linger (para.12):
 1) last or continue for a long time
e.g. Before leaving Suzhou, we took a last
lingering look at the beautiful view.
The beautiful melody is lingering in my mind.
 2) take a long time to leave or disappear
e.g. He lingered outside the school after everybody
else had gone home.
Part V Language Points
 tangible (para.13): that can be clearly seen to exist; that
you can touch and feel
e.g. Sculpture is a tangible art form.
Tangible assets refer to those assets that have a physical
form, such as machinery, buildings and land.
antonym: intangible
Part VI Writing Techniques
 How to write a telling introduction
Using a short anecdote is a good way to start your essay.
If you have a relevant anecdote ready, using it in the
introduction will make your essay more interesting and
attract the attention of your reader. Be sure your
anecdote is short, to the point and relevant to your topic.
Part VI Writing Techniques
 Homework for Writing
You are required to start an essay entitled Help the
Homeless with an anecdote. In this essay, you will try
to persuade your readers that people should have
sympathy for the homeless because many of them
suffer from misfortune and need help.